January is finally over, and with it’s departure comes the advent of midterm season at Carolina. There are so many projects and tests due over the next few weeks, that stress seems to have become a main feature of my life. This probably runs true for other UNC students as well. In order to fight the growing feelings of worry, I often spend time with friends and family. Interestingly enough, my microbiome might actually have something to do with my stress and social activities!
In a news article by Oxford University, I was informed that there is a new study that demonstrates a link between social behavior, stress, and the microbiome. This new study found that “people with larger social networks tend to have a more diverse microbiome.” This in it of itself is very interesting, but what interested me more was the finding that a less diverse microbiome actually correlated with higher levels of stress and anxiety. Currently it is unclear whether stress and social networks impact the microbiome or vice-versa, but this finding is very interesting nonetheless. It also leads one to consider whether altering the microbiome or socializing more could possibly help reduce symptoms of anxiety.
At first it seemed fairly far-fetched that my gut health could be a cause of stress and anxiety. However, the more I researched, the more support I found for this idea. For example, another recent study reported on by Oregon State University found that there were differences between the microbiomes of “children with behavioral problems and higher socioeconomic stress” and the microbiomes of children without these factors. Indeed, it seems that the growing body of research on the microbiome indicates that it has a larger impact on total-body wellness than ever thought before. I will be sure to keep my eye on the upcoming research to see if somebody comes up with a microbiome-related way of reducing stress. Until that happens though, I guess I will just have to consign myself to a normal level of worry over exams.
Microbes and Musings 